Automatic rail switch operating device



June 23, 1931. i BOYKO 1,810,892

AUTOMATIC RAIL SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE Filed DeC- '7. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 BPIP ATTORNEY.

.1. BOYKO 1,810,892

June 23, 1931.

- AUTOMATIC RAIL SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE Filed Dec. '7, 192a 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

% ATTORNEY.

June 23, 1931. J. BOYKO 1,810,892

AUTOMATIC RAIL SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE Filed Dec. '7, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a 7 8 4 A; a

| MA I 7 Patented June 23, 1931 v UNITED STATES JOHN BOYKO, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO NIKOLAS STEPANKOW, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN 1 AUTOMATIC RAIL SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE Application filed December '7, 1928. Serial No: 324,358.

The object of'my invention is to produce a switch operating device that will open or close a rail switch point automatically, and while the car or engine operating on the tracks is in motion.

Another object is to produce a rail swltch operating device that will function at the will of an operator of an approaching car, and will'move to alternately open and close the rail switch point. i

A further object is to produce a mechanical device that is positive in its movement, and will insure a complete opening or closing of the switch point before the approaching car reaches the switch, and that is automatically operated by the car driver without stopping.

A still further object is to produce an automatic switch operating device that is simple in construction, easily and efficiently operated and that can be manufactured at a very low cost.

These several objects are attained in the preferred form by the construction and ar rangement of parts more fully hereinafter set forth.

Similar parts on all drawings are marked by similar numerals.

Fig, 1 illustrates my device mounted on a railway track, with the operating member attached to the forward end of an approaching car.

Fig. 2 is a detail side view of the operating member and supporting frame.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the same member showing the relative position of the operating bar and frame members.

Fig. 4 isa top view of the same member showing the relative position of the bar and spring lifting means. 7

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the rail point operating mechanism showing the moving parts and means for attaching to the rail switch point.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the switch box showing its exterior structure and means for attaching to the rail road ties.

Fig. 7 is an end view taken on the line 7--7 of the Fig. 5 showing the relative position of the operating mechanism to the rail switch point.

each side thereof and provided with suitable pivot pin 11 securely, attached thereto Fig. 8 is a sectional View taken-on the line 8-8 of the Fig. 5 showing the inner working member or switch bar and means for pivoting same within the inclosing switch casing.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99 of the Fig. 5 showing the movement of the switch bar within the inclosing casing and means for connecting same to the rail switch point.

I will now describe more fully the detailed construction of my device, referring to the drawings and the marks thereon.

The switchbox 1-- is preferably made of cast metal, rectangular in form, having ribbed side members 2 projecting along bolt holes 3- for rigidly and securelyattaching said casing to the rail ties; -4-by either lag screws or rail spikes. The casing 1 is designed to be positioned near the center of the track between the car rails 5 and parallel thereto, wit-h one end placed approximately opposite the rail switch point 6. The casing 1 is formed with a hollow V-shaped chamber 7+, having vertical walls extending nearly the entire length of the casing. The larger end of said chamber being positioned opposite the rail switch point 6, and with the smaller V- end of saidchamber pointed in the same'direction as said switch point. The casing 1 is also formed with a deep grooved recess -8- having vertical walls 9, positioned parallel to each other and to the center line axis of said casing and extending the entire length thereof. The grooved recessl8 also intersects the V-shaped chamber .7 along its centerline, dividing same into separatedhalves. The vertical walls9 act as guide bars for holding exterior member as may be passed therethrough in a .pre1deter-. mined path when passed through the V- shaped chamber -7-. Mounted within the chamber -7 is a solid V-shaped switchblock 10, formed with vertical'walls, and

of a width approximately one half that of the inclosing V-shaped chamber .7. The switch block 10 is preferably made of cast metal and is pivotally mounted by the and projects from the lower side thereof. Pivot pin -11 is mounted in the bearing l2 formed through the bottom wall of the casing 1- on the center line of the groove recess -S and chamber 7-, positioned'near the pointed ends of said chamher and switch block, and in a manner that will allow said switch block 10 to be -moved sidewise on the supporting pivot pin and enter either half chamber, and at the same time open a clear passage way through the tal rail point operating bar l4-. The operating bar 14: is pivotally attached thereto by the pin 15, and is free to turn thereon. The said operating bar ll is passed through a wall port 16 formed through the outer wall of the casing 1-, and is extended to the free end of the rail switch point 6 and pivotally attached to said rail switch point by the clevis 17- and pin -18--. The clevis 17 being securely attached to the rail switch point 6 by the bolts 19. length that will allow a complete closing of the switch point 6 against the car rails 5 when the V-shaped switch block 10 is turned into the half chamber 7 next adjacent said rail switch point. Also will completely open'said rail switch point when said switch block l0 is turned to the opposite half chamber -7 on the side op-' posite the said rail switch point 6. Securely attached to the front end of the car 5-20 as may be operated upon the tracks 5, and on the under side of said car is a rigid supporting frame 21, the same being mounted thereon by the bolts -22. The supporting frame 21 is positioned vertically along the centerline of the car '20 and in true alignment with the centerline of the grooved recess -8--of the track casing l. Within the supporting frame -2l is mounted a strong switch operating bar 23, positioned vertically therein and slidably mounted within said casing through the bearings 24land 25. The switch operating bar -23 is extended at the upper end thereof a sufiicient length to be passed through the floor 26 of the car 20,

and is formed with an operating handle 27 on the top end thereof. Said handle 27 may be of a design to be conveniently used by the hand or by the foot as may be desired by the driver of the car. The lower end of the switch operating bar 23 is The operating baris of a projected below the bottom of the said supporting frame -21, and is formed with a forward thin edge 28 extending the entire length of the lower projected section.

Said lower end of the bar 23 being posithe rail switch point 6 as the car 20' approaches on the tracks 5 and without stopping the car. Should the switch block 10 and therail switch point 6 be in the desired position, the car driver does not molest it or lower the switch operating bar 23, but in case the switch rail is desired to be changed in either direction, the same is accomplished by lowering said switch opreating bar 23 which alternately engages the projected point of the switch block 10- which extends to the opposite casing wall and moves the switch block -10 alternately from one side recess 7 to the other. Within the supporting casing 21' is mounted a heavy coil spring 29,so attached to the switch operating bar 23 that same is held firmly in its upper position except when forced downward by thecar driver for operating the switch block. The lower bearing 25- of the supporting frame 21- is formed of an elongated slot shaped opening to allow for a slight sidewise adjustment of the bar -23 when passing the pivoted cen ter of the switch block 10 along either side thereof. The switch block 10- being projected ahead of the supporting pivot l1 for'engagingand directing the said bar 23 into the closed side of the grooved recess '-8 for insuring the proper movement of the switch block and connected mechanism. l

Having fully described my automatic rail switch operating device, what I claim as my invention ent'1s: V p

1. A- rallway switch operating device anddesire to secure by Letters Patadapted for automatically opening and clos-' ing a railway switch and used in combination with a track vehicle operating bar,

comprising a hollowtracl; casing having meansfor rigidly attaching same to the track ties between the double track rails, a V- shaped switch block pivotally mounted with- "in said hollowtrack; casingby a'pivot positioned near the pointed end thereof, said switch block being capable of swinging sidewise within said hollow casing when engaged by a single track vehicle operating bar, a switch point operating bar having one end pivotally attached to the movable end of said switch block, and means mounted on the opposite end of said operating bar for attaching same to a railway switch point.

2. A railway switch operating device adapted for opening and closing a railway switch and used in combination with a single track vehicle operating bar, comprising a hollow track casing suitable for rigidly mounting on the rail ties between the double track rails, said casing having a longitudinal opening formed along the top wall thereof opening into said hollow casing chamber, a V-shaped switch blockpivotally mounted within the hollow track casing by a pivot positioned near the pointed end of said block, said switch block being capable of sidewise movement within the hollow casing in either direction when engaged by a single rail vehicle operating bar, a switch point operating bar pivotally attached to the larger end of said switch block and movable therewith, and means mounted on the opposite end of said operating bar for attaching same to the free end of a railway switch point.

3. A railway switch operating device adapted for opening and closing a railway switch point and used in combination with a single track vehicle operating bar, comprising a track casing suitable for rigidly attaching same to rail ties between the double track rails, said casing being formed with a V-shaped chamber therein lengthwise there of and having an upper wall slot opening the entire length thereof, a Vshaped switch block pivotally mounted within said V- shaped track casing chamber by a pivot bolt positioned near the pointed end of said switch block, said switch block being capable of swinging to either side of the track'casing chamber when engaged by a single track vehicle operating bar, a switch point operating bar having one end pivotally attached to the larger end of said switch block and projected sidewise through the side trackcasing wall, and means mounted on the opposite end of said operating bar for pivotally attaching same to the free end of a railway switch point.

4. A railway switch operating device adapted for opening and closing a railway switch point automatically and used in combination with a single track vehicle operating bar, comprising a rectangular shaped track casing suitable for rigidly mounting on track ties between double track rails, said track casing being formed with an enlarged V-shaped chamber lengthwise thereof and provided with a wall slot opening along the top side extending the full lengthof said casing, a V-shaped switch block pivotally mounted within said casing V-shaped chamher by a pivot bolt positioned near the pointed end of said block, said switch block switch point automatically by an approaching rail vehicle, comprising a suitable track casing for fixedly and rigidly attaching to railway ties between double rail track, said track casing being formed with an enlarged V-shaped chamber positioned lengthwise thereof and provided with a straight narrow bar slot along the upper casing wallpositioned along the V-shaped chamber centerline, a V-shaped switch block pivotally mounted within the track casing 'V-shaped chamber by' a pivotbolt positioned-near the said switch block point and in a plane through the center line of said casing recess and bar opening, the larger end of said switch block being capable of sidewise move ment in either direction, in either half of the track casing, suflicient to provide a clear path at the opposite side thereof along one edge of the top casing bar slot for admitting a single track vehicle operating bar therein and at the same time placing the switch block point against the opposite casing bar slot wall, a switch point operating bar pivotally attached to the larger end of said switch block and projected sidewise therefrom through a side wall casing opening, means mounted on the opposite end of said operating bar for pivotally attaching same to the free end of a railway switch point, and a single track vehicle operating bar suitable for mounting on a track vehicle capable of being so depressed to engage with'the casing bar slot and switch block for automatically moving said switch block and attached rail switch point from one side to the other.

In witness whereof I sign these specifications.

JOHN BOYKO. 

